Hitching device.



(Nq Model.)

` Patented Mar. 4, |902.

JK. W. EVANS.

HITCHING DEVICE.

' (Appuemon med .n.ny 22, 1901.1

UNETEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN W. EVANS, OF GREENVILLE, MISSOURI.k

HITCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 694,465, dated. March4, 1902. Application iiled July 22,1901. Serial No. 69,303. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. EVANS, a citizen of tne'United States,residing at Greenville, in the county of VWayne and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hitching Devices;andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art tolwhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hitching devices, and particularly to ahitching attachment for mangers for securing a horse to the manger or inthe stall, so that lie may feed anywhere in the manger or lie downwithout inconvenience and without the danger incident to the use of along strap or rope, in which the horse is liable to become entangled.

The object of the'invention is to provide a hitching device which issimple, safe, and secure and which is adapted to automatically lengthenand take up the slack in the halter rope or strap as the horse movesaway from or toward the manger, thereby obviating all liability ofinjury to the horse by becoming entangled in the strap.

With this and other objects in View the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal section througha stall, illustrating the application of the invention; and Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the invention on an enlarged scale.

Referring now more particularly to thev drawings, the numeral lrepresents the feedbox or manger of a stall of any ordinary or preferredconstruction, and 2 the ceiling of the stall ora suitable supportarranged above the manger.

Fixed in the ceiling or support 2 isa staple or eye 3, to which isconnected the upper end of a swinging rod 4l, which hangs verticallyabove the manger and is adapted to swing laterally or longitudinally ofthe stall to allow the horse to have ample freedom of movement in eitherdirection. To the upper end of the rod 4 is secured one end of a coiledspring 5, whichencircles or encompasses the rod and is connected at itslower end to `a hitch-ring 6, which is fitted to slide upon said rod andis limited in its outward or downward movement by a stop 7 upon thelower end of the rod. A hitch strap or rope 8 is attached atone end tothe ring 6 and is adapted to be secured at its opposite end to thehalter,y whereby the horse is conined. As the rod? is free to swing bothlongitudinally and laterally of the stall, it will be seen that thehorse will have ample freedom of movement in either direction within adetermined limit and that as the spring 5 is adapted to be eX-l tendedto a length corresponding to that of the swinging rod 4. the hitch strapor rope 8 may be lengthened or shortened, so that the horse may lie downwithout inconvenience, the* said rope or strap being allowed to pay outwhen the horse lies down by the expansion Vof the spring, which when thehorse rises and approaches the manger contracts, and thereby takes upthel slack, so as to avoid all liability of the horse becoming entangledin the rope or strapand suffering injury. The invention thus provides asimple and eective device which obviates the objection incident to theuse of a long rope or strap and may be supplied at a comparatively lowcost.'

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood, and it will beseen that the invention provides a device which is exceedingly usefulfor the purpose for which it is designed.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction may be made within the scope of the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my inventio.n,"what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

A hitching device of the character de-v scribed, comprising a swingingrod, means for llinging the upper end of the rod to a suit- In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set able support, a hitch-ring slidably mountedmy hand in presence of two subscribing witon the rod, anexpansion-spring,r surrounding nesses.

the rod and connected at one end thereto and JOHN W. EVANS. 5 at theother end to said ring, and a. stop upon Witnesses:

the lower end of the rod to limit the move- THos. GILBREATH,

ment of the ring, substantially as described. NV. M. WOODS.

